Update: I was unfortunately not aware of Shamus Young's severe criticism of Fallout 3 available here to link in the original piece and I regret that. It dovetails rather nicely with what I've written and it's much better executed than my piece. I strongly recommend anyone...

Best Xbox 360 Exclusive 2013

Microsoft’s calendar of system-exclusive software seemed to wane in the dying light of their 2005 console, leaving downloadable titles and a new Gears of War to pick up the pieces and keep Xbox Live subscribers entertained while they waited for Xbox One’s release. Thankfully for longtime fans of the platform, an old friend arrived to make us laugh, make us curse, and make us knock our cooperative-minded loved ones onto a bed of spikes.

BattleBlock Theater took the same kind of zany-mashy chaos fans loved in Castle Crashers and brought it to a hardcore 2D platformer, complete with competitive modes, devious traps, and a level creator. The Behemoth proved themselves masters of downloadable gaming bliss and made Xbox Live Arcade relevant for a few weeks in a year where last generation’s favored online platform stumbled to the finish line.